The aim of this work is the study of plasma processes and the synthesis of organic compounds due to electric discharge generated in gas mixture corresponding to the composition of the atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon Titan. This study focuses on the mimic of Titan's atmosphere at atmospheric pressure and ambient laboratory temperature. The chemical composition of Titan's atmosphere is very similar to atmosphere of prehistoric Earth. Many articles have been published with theoretical model-research, and laboratory experiments are the pursuit of their interconnection. The main aim of thesis is the identification of synthesized gaseous organic, amino, imino and cyano compounds by use to various analytical methods such as the PTR-MS, FTIR and GC-MS. The OES and electric measurements were applied to the determination of selected electric discharge parameters. The gaseous products and radicals formed in an atmospheric discharge fed by different mixtures of N2:CH4 (0,5 up to 5 % of CH4) operated in a flowing regime at the total gas mixture flows from 50 to 200 sccm at different discharge currents from 15 up to 40 mA were determined. A part of experiments was carried out with admixtures of CO2 and hydrogen. This first part of results has been obtained using OES in dependence on the gas mixture composition and supplied power. The bands of the nitrogen second positive and the first negative systems, CN violet system and Swan system of C2 were recorded. Besides them, atomic lines H, H, and C (in the second order) were also observed. These spectra allowed calculation of rotational and vibrational temperatures. FTIR in situ analysis of the gaseous products showed presence of various nitrile compounds and hydrocarbons in all experiments. The HCN, C2H2, NH3 were the main products generated in our system. The dependences of their concentrations on various experimental parameters were measured. The other part of this work was devoted to estimate the influence of CO2 traces addition on the reactivity in the gaseous mixtures mentioned above. Besides the main products mentioned above, CO2 and CO were detected and also some more complicated oxygen molecules has been confirmed but not estimated because of FTIR spectra complexity. In the case of hydrogen traces addition into the reaction gas mixture, no other compounds were determined. Impurities of CO2 as well as hydrogen have a great positive influence on the production efficiency of the major generated compounds at all conditions. The more detailed gaseous products analyses were carried out using the in situ PTR-MS. A huge number of different molecular structures containing nitrile groups (–CN), amino groups (–NH2, –NH–, –N CH3CN > C2H5CN. Besides them, many other hydrocarbons and nitriles were detected. Presence of all compounds was studi

9 Abstract In this Ph.D. thesis possibilities of using our proposed potential programs for a multiple-pulse amperometry and a fast scan differential pulse voltammetry in combination with flow systems are presented. The development of new sensitive amperometric and voltammetric methods for the determination of oxidisable biologically active organic compounds is another aim of this work. In the first part of the work, the flow injection system and multiple-pulse amperometric detection were employed to develop and optimize a simple, low-cost, and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of natural and synthetic antioxidants. This technique involves the application of an appropriate potential waveform consisting of a suitable sequence of pulses on a single working electrode, thus allowing distinguish the analytes in a mixture with no need of separation. Conditions for the determination of antioxidants and modelling of the potential program were tested and studied, respectively. Second part of the work describes and characterizes the application of the fast scan differential pulse voltammetry (FSDPV) in combination with the flow systems. FSDPV is the electroanalytical technique that use high scan rate to record voltammograms within several milliseconds and ensures high temporal resolution. This technique...

Presented Ph.D. Thesis is focused on the use of the boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes for voltammetric and amperometric determination of selected nitrophenols: 2-nitrophenol (2NP), 4-nitrophenol (4NP), and 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4DNP). These compounds are listed as "priority pollutants" by United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) due to their negative impact on living organisms and are mainly used in agriculture as plant growth stimulators. BDD electrodes are used for determination of wide range of electrochemically both reducible and oxidisable organic compounds and have become a popular electrode material thanks to its commercial availability and excellent mechanical and electrochemical properties. A differential pulse voltammetric method was developed for the determination of 2NP, 4NP and 2,4DNP at a BDD film electrode using electrochemical reduction and of 4NP and 2,4DNP using electrochemical oxidation. The method was successfully applied for the direct determination of these compounds in drinking and river water in the concentration range from 4×10-7 to 2×10-5 mol.L-1 . To improve the limit of quantification, a preconcentration by solid phase extraction from 100 mL (drinking and river water) and 1000 mL (drinking water) of water samples was used with limit of determination...

Fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum (Agaricomytes: Gloeophyllates) is a brown rot wood-decay fungus which produces a vast spectrum of volatile secondary metabolites. Scientific publications state, that one of the metabolites produced by G. trabeum, can be the substance (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodecatrien-1-ol. This chemical substance is also the main component of trail-following pheromone of Rhinotermitidae termite family. In this diploma thesis, I was trying to verify whether various species of G. trabeum are in fact capable of producing the substance (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodecatrien-1-ol. I was also focusing on the effects of saccharides, present in nutrient solutions, on quantitative and qualitative change in composition of volatile secondary metabolites produced by G. trabeum. The saccharides I used for my research were - maltose, fructose, sucrose, xylose, and mannose. The analysis was made by using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography separation technique with time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection (GC×GC-TOFMS). During my research I discovered that one of obtained species of G. trabeum can produce substance (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodecatrien-1-ol, but only under specific conditions. It is produced when cultivating on Petri dishes on agar - cellulose growth media. The measurement was further validated by...

Diploma thesis summarizes available information about chiral analysis of synthetic musk compounds in the aquatic environment. In the theoretical part of the thesis chirality and importance of chiral analysis by means of examples of different environmental pollutants is documented. Further consideration is aimed on musk compounds, their classification, characteristics and their fate in the environment, especially in the aquatic environment. After that methods for chiral analysis of synthetic musk compounds are reviewed. The aim of the experimental part of this diploma thesis was to carry out the determination of thirteen representatives of musk compounds (2-cyclohexylethanol, allylcyklohexylpropionate, Arocet, Aroflorone, Citronellol, Fresco Menthe, Galaxolide, hexyl cinnamic aldehyde, HSA, isoamylsalicylate, isobornylacetate, Lilial and Linalool), out of which some compounds are chiral and some are achiral. For the analysis samples of wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant Brno - Modřice were taken. Target compounds were isolated by solid phase microextraction (SPME) and were subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass spectrometric detection. On the basis of data evaluation the removal efficiency forgiven musk compounds in the wastewater treatment plant was assessed.

9 Abstract In this Ph.D. thesis possibilities of using our proposed potential programs for a multiple-pulse amperometry and a fast scan differential pulse voltammetry in combination with flow systems are presented. The development of new sensitive amperometric and voltammetric methods for the determination of oxidisable biologically active organic compounds is another aim of this work. In the first part of the work, the flow injection system and multiple-pulse amperometric detection were employed to develop and optimize a simple, low-cost, and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of natural and synthetic antioxidants. This technique involves the application of an appropriate potential waveform consisting of a suitable sequence of pulses on a single working electrode, thus allowing distinguish the analytes in a mixture with no need of separation. Conditions for the determination of antioxidants and modelling of the potential program were tested and studied, respectively. Second part of the work describes and characterizes the application of the fast scan differential pulse voltammetry (FSDPV) in combination with the flow systems. FSDPV is the electroanalytical technique that use high scan rate to record voltammograms within several milliseconds and ensures high temporal resolution. This technique...

Despite significant progress in the development of anti-cancer drugs, there is still a need for novel therapeutic strategies that would improve the outcome of cancer patients. Using proteomic technologies and cell lines with different phenotype of p53 tumour suppressor, we monitored cancer cell response to anti-cancer treatment with focus on the development of drug resistance. The different levels of metabolic proteins were identified in our study which may help to explain different anti-cancer activity of drugs with only a subtle difference in structure. More importantly, proteins associated with the development of drug resistance were identified and such expression changes have become a focus of interest. Our findings demonstrate a higher protein level of serine hydroxymethyltransferase, serpin B5 and calretinin in cancer cells resistant to Aurora kinase inhibitors. Such proteins promote the tumour growth with no apparent impact of p53 phenotype whilst voltage-dependent anion-selective channel protein 2 contributes to the development of resistance only in cells with functional p53 which is accompanied by the decreased level of elongation factor 2. On the other hand, cancer cells with loss of p53 appear to amplify alternative mechanisms such as protection against oxidative stress. The results...

Aims: The thesis deals with the biomarkers of early renal injury, namely albuminuria and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL). The aims in the case of albuminuria were the implementation of HPLC method, comparing HPLC with immunoturbidimetric (IT) method and monitoring the relationship to the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The aim of urinary NGAL (and eventually other markers) examination was to verify its reliability in the prediction of acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods: We investigated albuminuria in fresh urine samples in the groups of 636 diabetics and 456 nondiabetics using the HPLC method (Agilent 1200, Agilent Technologies, USA) and immunoturbidimetrically (Cobas Integra 400, Roche Diagnostics); we studied the correlations and relationships between albuminuria and glycated hemoglobin HbA1c. We investigated urinary NGAL by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (Architect i4000, Abbott) in children's groups: 1) after renal transplantation (N = 15), 2) with acute or chronic kidney disease (N = 28); and in adult patient's groups: 1) after cardiac surgery (N = 10) and 2) post angiography (N = 41). Results: Albuminuria determined by HPLC was statistically significantly higher than albuminuria determined by IT. We excluded nonspecificity of the HPLC method. Results indicate...